• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.451-455
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• 2005

In this study, whole cells and a crude enzyme of Candida peltata were applied to an electrochemical bioreactor, in order to induce an increment of the reduction of xylose to xylitol. Neutral red was utilized as an electron mediator in the whole cell reactor, and a graphite-Mn(IV) electrode was used as a catalyst in the enzyme reactor in order to induce the electrochemical reduction of $NAD^+$ to NADH. The efficiency with which xylose was converted to xylitol in the electrochemical bioreactor was five times higher than that in the conventional bioreactor, when whole cells were employed as a biocatalyst. Meanwhile, the xylose to xylitol reduction efficiency in the enzyme reactor using the graphite-Mn (IV) electrode and $NAD^+$ was twice as high as that observed in the conventional bioreactor which utilized NADH as a reducing power. In order to use the graphite-Mn(IV) electrode as a catalyst for the reduction of $NAD^+$ to NADH, a bioelectrocatalyst was engineered, namely, oxidoreductase (e.g. xylose reductase). $NAD^+$ can function in this biotransformation procedure without any electron mediator or a second oxidoreductase for $NAD^+/NADH$ recycling

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2022

The increased production and consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based products over the past several decades has resulted in the discharge of countless tons of PET waste into the marine environment. PET microparticles resulting from the physical erosion of general PET wastes end up in the ocean and pose a threat to the marine biosphere and human health, necessitating the development of new technologies for recycling and upcycling. Notably, enzyme-mediated PET degradation is an appealing option due to its eco-friendly and energy-saving characteristics. PETase, a PET-hydrolyzing enzyme originating from Ideonella sakaiensis, is one of the most thoroughly researched biological catalysts. However, the industrial application of PETase-mediated PET recycling is limited due to the low stability and poor reusability of the enzyme. Here we developed the whole-cell catalyst (WCC) in which functional PETase is attached to the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. Immunoassays are used to identify the surface-expressed PETase, and we demonstrated that the WCC degraded PET microparticles most efficiently at 30℃ and pH 9 without agitation. Furthermore, the WCC increased the PET-degrading activity in a concentration-dependent manner, surpassing the limited activity of soluble PETase above 100 nM. Finally, we demonstrated that the WCC could be recycled up to three times.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.411-416
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• 2002

Bacillus macerans cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was expressed on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by fusing with Aga2p linked to the membrane-anchored protein, Aga1p. The surface display of CGTase was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and its enzymatic ability to form ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin from starch. The maximum surface-display of CGTase was obtained by growing recombinant S. cerevisiae at $20^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0. S. cerevisiae cells displaying CGTase on their surface consumed glucose and maltose, inhibitory byproducts of the CGTase reaction, to enhance the purity of produced cyclodextrins. Accordingly, the experimental results described herein suggest a possibility of using the recombinant S.cerevisiae anchored with bacterial CGTase on the cell surface as a whole-cell biocatalyst for the production of cyclodextrin.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.115.2-115.2
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• 2010

Autothermal reforming(ATR) processes of hydrocarbon liquids such as diesel fuels are spotlighted as methods to produce hydrogen for Fuel cell. However, the use of heavy hydrocarbons as feedstocks for hydrogen production causes some problems which increase the catalyst deactivation by the carbon deposition. Coking can be inhibited by increasing the water dissociation on the catalyst surface. This results in catastrophic failure of whole system. Performance degradation of diesel autothermal reforming leads to increase of undesirable hydrocarbons at reformed gases and subsequently decrease the performance. In this study, perovskite-based catalysts were investigated as alternatives to substitute the noble metal catalyst for the ATR of diesel. The investigated perovskite structure was based on LaCrO3. and metals were added at the A-site to enhance oxygen ion mobility, transition metals were doped on the B-site to enhance the reformation. Substituted Lanthanum chromium perovskite were made by aqueous combustion synthesis, which can produce high surface area. And for the homogeneous fuel supply, we made ultrasonic injection system for reforming. We compared durability of evaporation system and ultrasonic system for fuel injection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.244-247
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• 2020

We have expressed extracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase of Ralstonia pickettii T1 on the Escherichia coli surface using Pseudomonas OprF protein as a fusion partner by C-terminal deletion-fusion strategy. Surface display of depolymerase was confirmed by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy and whole cell hydrolase activity. For the application, depolymerase was used as an immobilized catalyst of enantioselective hydrolysis reaction for the first time. After 48 h, (R)-methyl mandelate was completely hydrolyzed, and (S)-mandelic acid was produced with over 99% enantiomeric excess. Our findings suggest that surface displayed depolymerase on E. coli can be used as an enantioselective biocatalyst.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.110-116
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• 2006

In this study, the biodegradation rate of paraoxon, that is an organophosphate pesticide, was enhanced by recombinant Escherichia coli harboring organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH). The optimum conditions were 8.5 of initial pH and 5.0% of acetone for the enhancement of specific whole cell OPH activity. When the OPH was produced to 498 Unit/L, 98% of 275mg/L paraoxon was degraded within 10 minutes, and thus the biodegradation rate was enhanced to $29.2mg/g{\cdot}min$. The results implied that practical bioremediation technology developed in this study was an effective method to degrade residual organophosphate pesticide in ground water or soils in a short time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.195-204
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• 2013

While structured packing modules are known to be efficient for surface wetting and gas-liquid exchange in abiotic surface catalysis, this model study explores structured packing as a growth surface for catalytic biofilms. Microbial biofilms have been proposed as selfimmobilized and self-regenerating catalysts for the production of chemicals. A concern is that the complex and dynamic nature of biofilms may cause fluctuations in their catalytic performance over time or may affect process reproducibility. An aerated continuous trickle-bed biofilm reactor system was designed with a 3 L structured packing, liquid recycling and pH control. Pseudomonas diminuta established a biofilm on the stainless steel structured packing with a specific surface area of 500 $m^2m^{-3}$ and catalyzed the oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid for over two months of continuous operation. A steady-state productivity of up to 1.6 $gl^{-1}h^{-1}$ was achieved at a dilution rate of 0.33 $h^{-1}$. Process reproducibility between three independent runs was excellent, despite process interruptions and activity variations in cultures grown from biofilm effluent cells. The results demonstrate the robustness of a catalytic biofilm on structured packing, despite its dynamic nature. Implementation is recommended for whole-cell processes that require efficient gas-liquid exchange, catalyst retention for continuous operation, or improved catalyst stability.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.132-151
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• 2024

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has received extensive attention as it is the most common hydrogen energy utilization device. This research not only investigated the effect of obstacle number and shape on PEMFC performance, but also studied the effect of the blockage degree in the channel of PEMFC on its performance. It was found that compared with traditional scheme, longitudinally distributed obstacles scheme can significantly promote reactants transfer to catalyst layer, and the blockage degree in the channel effect PEMFC performance most. The scheme with 10 rectangular obstacles in single channel and 60% channel blockage had the best output performance and the most uniform distribution of reactants and products. Obstacle height distribution can significantly affect PEMFC performance, the blockage degree in the whole basin was large, particularly as the channel was blocked to higher degree in region 2 and region 3, higher net power density and better mass transfer effect can be obtained. Among them, the fuel cell with the blockage degree of 40%, 60% and 60% in region 1, region 2 and region 3 have the best PEMFC output performance and mass transfer, the net power density was 29.8% higher than that of traditional scheme.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.576-581
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• 2005

Phytase improves the bioavailability of phytate phosphorus in plant foods to humans and animals, and reduces the phosphorus pollution of animal waste. We have engineered the cell surface of the yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, by anchoring active fungal phytase on its cell wall, in order to apply it as a dietary supplement containing bioconversional functions in animal foods and a whole cell bio-catalyst for the treatment of waste. The phytase gene (phyA) of Aspergillus niger with a signal peptide of rice amylase 1A (Ramy1A) was fused with the gene encoding the C-terminal half (320 amino acid residues from the C-terminus) of yeast ${\alpha}-agglutinin$, a protein which is involved in mating and is covalently anchored to the cell wall. The resulting fusion construct was introduced into S. cerevisiae and expressed under the control of the constitutive glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter. Phytase plate assay revealed that the surface-engineered cell exhibited a catalytically active opaque zone which was restricted to the margin of the colony. Additionally, the phytase activity was detected in the cell fraction, but was not detected in the culture medium when it was grown in liquid. These results indicate that the phytase was successfully anchored to the cell surface of yeast and was displayed as its active form. The amount of recombinant phytase on the surface of yeast cells was estimated to be 16,000 molecules per cell.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.277-285
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• 2001

We developed a compact, 10 kWe, purifier-integrated reformer which supplies hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. Our proprietary technologies regarding hydrogen purification by palladium alloy membrane and catalytic combustion by noble metal coated wire-mesh catalyst were combined with the conventional methanol steam reforming technology, resulting in higher conversion, excellent quality of product hydrogen, and better thermal efficiency than any other systems. In this system, steam reforming, hydrogen purification, and catalytic combustion take place all in a single reactor so that the whole system is compact and easy to operate. The module produces $8.2Nm^3/hr$ of 99.999% or higher purity hydrogen with CO impurity less than 10 ppm, which is equivalent to 10 kWe when PEMFC has 45 % efficiency. Thermal efficiency of the module is 81 % and the power density of the module is 1.6 L/kWe. As the results of experiments, cold-start time has been measured about 20 minutes. Response time of hydrogen production to the change of the feed rate has been within 1 minutes.